Key Phrases

Zolpidem and zopiclone are two widely used non-benzodiazepine hypnotics whose usage seems to be associated to pharmacodependence. However, to our knowledge, there has as yet been no published epidemiological study which has compared their abuse or dependence potential. We used a pharmacoepidemiological approach to identify and characterise zolpidem and… (More)

BACKGROUND
Guidelines suggest a review of hypnotic prescriptions every four weeks for zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon ('Z-drugs'). The lack of face-to-face consultation between the physician and the patient increases the potential of misuse and resultant dependence.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the proportion of long-term hypnotic Z-drug prescription issued… (More)

BACKGROUND
Because the elderly are often treated by multiple-drug regimens, their iatrogenic risks are considerably raised. However, despite the serious side-effects that diuretic agents may have in this population, SPCs (summary of product characteristics) do not specify how often serum chemistry should be monitored. This study of long-term diuretic… (More)

The authors present a pharmaco-epidemiological method for the characterization of drug overconsumption. Using the database of a French regional health insurance office, a comparison was made between patients receiving doses higher than recommended and all patients receiving normal doses of two antidepressant drugs (tianeptine and milnacipran). Logistic… (More)

OBJECTIVE
The study objective was to measure the rates of inclusion of populations at risk of advanced melanoma in a pilot targeted screening project involving general practitioners.
DESIGN
This cross-sectional database study compared the inclusion rates of patients who signed inclusion in a targeted screening project with those of patients who did not,… (More)

Many drugs are prescribed off-label, which means outside the terms of the summary of product characteristics (SPC) i.e. indication, dosage, contraindication, etc, in children. Among the numerous studies about off-label use, no data have focused on drug use despite contraindication in children. The aim of this survey was to assess the frequency of… (More)

France has one of the highest recorded rates of psychotropic use of drugs compared with other European countries, especially for anxiolytics, hypnotics and antidepressants. The aim of this study was to characterize the use of three psychotropic drugs among the most prescribed in France (bromazepam, paroxetine, zolpidem) using reimbursement databases in… (More)